The Xbox One X was pitched against Sony’s PS4 Pro. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Microsoft has stopped making the Xbox One X and Xbox One S All-Digital Edition, two of its current-generation console. However, the production of the Xbox One S will continue. The Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft called the move a “natural step” as the company prepares to launch the next-generation Xbox Series X later this year.

The Xbox One X, released in 2017, was a higher-powered version of its Xbox One console designed to compete with Sony’s PlayStation 4 Pro. The video game console featured a 6 teraflop graphical processing unit, 12 GB GDDR5 of graphic memory, and an 8-core custom AMD central processing unit. The console, which had the ability to run video games in native 4K resolutions, was launched at a price of $499.

Other than the flagship Xbox One X, Microsoft is also stopping the production of the cheaper Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. This all-digital edition doesn’t allow for discs, which makes sense given Microsoft is betting big on Xbox Game Pass and Project xCloud services. The console retails for as low as $200 on Amazon and GameStop.

It shouldn’t come as a huge surprise to see why Microsoft is discontinuing the Xbox One X as well as Xbox One S All-Digital Edition. Microsoft has already revealed that the Xbox Series X, its next-gen console, will hit retail shelves towards the end of the year. The Series X will feature an all-new design and boasts 4K visuals running at 60 frames per second. The game console will also feature a new solid-state drive.

Not just Microsoft but Sony has also set its eyes on the 2020 holiday season for the new console launch. The Japanese tech giant has confirmed it will launch the PlayStation 5 during the holiday season. Both Xbox Series X and PS5 will mark the beginning of ninth-gen consoles.